Monday, 9 August 2010

Beer #5 - 'Handflache' Hefeweissen attempt #1

I'm not sure why but my original calculations weren't correct, so I ended up having to make a panic adjustment to the recipe I was using to make it all fit with the ingredients I'd ordered. Basically this meant plumping for a lower gravity and hence alcohol content - this is not necessarily a bad thing, given that I'm hoping for an easy drinking summer beer here. In order to keep it within tolerable levels I also cut down the brew length to 20 litres. So my super simple recipe is:

Handflache (#1) - 20 litre

3kg Dried wheat malt extract (6-10 EBC)

18g Saaz hops (3.5% alpha)

White Labs WLP380 Hefeweizen IV Ale Yeast

So adjusted for a 6L partial boil and late extract addition:

Put the flame on 6L of water

Add 900g dried wheat malt extract

When boiling add 18g hops (in muslin bag)

Boil for 90 minutes

Pour into fermenting vessel and make up to 20L with cold water, aerating

Add the rest of the extract

When temperature is under 30c pitch yeast

There were issues with the extract powder clumping, but with a bit of a stir it all managed to dissolve. Somehow my hydrometer reading was way more than I had expected given the figures out of Beer Engine. I could be driving it wrong, or maybe the numbers for the extract are out compared to the batch I have (maybe the numbers are for liquid extract). In any case it's looking like I'm at an OG of 1.054 which will be about 5.5% if I get down to an FG of 1.012.

I wonder whether the next wheat experiment should include some pale malt extract?